Sanitary napkin with completely wrapped filler pad



July 28, 1970 c. s. JOA 3,521,639

I SANITARY NAPKIN WITH COWLETELY WRAPPED FILLER PAD I u MAL-A,

I Airyan vs United States Patent O 3,521,639 SANITARY 'NAPKIN WITH COMPLETELY WRAPPED FILLER PAD Curt G. Joa, Ocean Ridge, Fla. (Box 1121, Boynton Beach, Fla. 33435) Filed Dec. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 599,858 Int. Cl. A611? 13/16 US. Cl. 128-290 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sanitary napkin comprising a filler pad made up of short fibers which tend to break away from the pad, a reticular overwrap ensleeving said pad and through the reticular spaces of which the fibers are siftable, and a non-reticular inner wrapper about said filler pad to con tain said fibers against sifting. The inner wrapper completely encloses the pad about its sides and ends. The narrow sides of the filler pad have tapered portions adjacent the ends. The inner wrapper is tucked into folds adjacent the tapered portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The material typically used in the art for forming absorbent pads consists of fluifed up cellulose or loose cotton fiber. When the overwrap or outer Wrap comprises a loosely knitted sheath of stockinette or similar reticular or knitted material commonly used in Europe, problems have been encountered in the sifting and loss of the loose fibrous material of the filler pad through the openings in the outer wrap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a soft non-woven wrapper preferably comprising a lamina of soft sift proof tissue which completely encloses the filler pads and prevents sifting and loss of filler pad material. The wrapper is supplied in a continuous web in the course of con tinuous movement of a series of spaced filler pads through the apparatus in which the sanitary napkins are manufactured. The web is folded into a sleeve surrounding the spaced pads with the marginal edges of the wrapper web turned in and overlapped along the length of the filler pads. The side edges of the wrapper adjacent the ends of the filler pad are tucked to conform to the characteristic shape of the tapered filler pads and the ends of the wrapper are crimped to provide an envelope completely enclosing the filler pad.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective showing a wrapped filler pad with the ends tucked and crirnped.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged broken open perspective view of the completed sanitary napkin made in accordance with the invention and having an outer wrap of stockinette.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the stockinette outer cover.

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exem- 3,521,639 Patented July 28, 1970 plifies the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a filler pad 12 totally enclosed in a wrapper 10. Pad 12 typically comprises wood pulp agglomerated into a fluffed up mass of moisture absorbent fibers. The fibers are short in length and tend to break away from the pad, together with such lint and dirt as is also present in the pad. Wrapper 10 is desirably formed from soft relatively fragile tissue, preferably two or four ply. It provides a sift proof cover for the pad, thus to prevent loss of fibers, etc., from the pad. Wrapper 10 is tucked at 14 along its sides adjacent its crimped ends 16.

FIG. 2 illustrates the pad 12 and wrapper 10 enclosed by an outer cover or overwrap 18 of loose non-Woven fabric such as knitted stockinette having projecting end tabs 20. The stockinette has relatively large pores or spaces 21 formed in the knit. These pores are large enough to allow the pad fibers to sift through the stockinette, in the absence of the wrapper 10.

The pad 12 desirably comprises two batts 42, 43, separated by a moisture barrier sheet 50.

The non-reticular inner wrapper 10 completely encloses the pad 12 about its broad sides, opposed narrow sides, and opposed ends. The wrapper 10 is desirably crimped at 16 at the ends of the pad. The wrapped pad is then ensleeved by the reticular overwrap 18 in a manner to leave the tabs 20 projecting longitudinally therefrom.

I claim:

1. A sanitary napkin comprising a filler pad made up of short fibers which tend to break away from the pad, a reticular overwrap ensleeving said pad and through the reticular spaces of which said fibers are siftable, and a non-reticular inner wrapper about said filler pad to contain said fibers against sifting, said inner wrapper completely enclosing the pad about its sides and ends, said filler pad having opposed broad sides, opposed narrow sides and opposed ends, the narrow sides of said filler pad having tapered portions adjacent said ends, said inner wrapper being tucked into folds adjacent said tapered portions.

2. A sanitary napkin in accordance with claim 1 wherein said non-reticular inner wrapper comprises a lamina of soft tissue, the ends of which are crimped about the ends of the pad.

3. A sanitary napkin in accordance with claim 1 wherein said filler pad comprises superimposed layers of cellulose pulp separated by a moisture barrier sheet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,548,341 4/1951 Bricmont 128-290 3,060,936 10/1962 Burgeni 128-290 3,084,692 4/1963 Atkinson 128-290 3,183,909 5/1965 Roehr 128-290 3,230,955 1/1966 Joa et a1. 128290 3,343,543 9/1967 Glassman 128-290 FOREIGN PATENTS 618,787 4/1961 Canada. 938,373 10/ 1963 Great Britain.

CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner 

